A Mother's Love
by Chrosis
Summary: It has been less than a month since Ragyo was defeated and the Life Fibers were forced into hibernation. Victory has been declared and our heroes attempt to move on with their lives. One young woman in particular struggles to move on. Are her torments caused by mere shadows of the past, or is there something more? *Does not follow OVA*
1. Prelude to Madness

**AN: **And so our story begins...

_**A Mother's Love**_

_Prologue_

Ryuko Matoi met her own listless gaze in the mirror in front of her, disgusted by what she saw. Her hair was a ragged mess, her gaze was half lidded and listless, and heavy, dark, bags rested under her eyes. The entire façade was made complete by the toothbrush sticking out of the corner of her mouth, white foam dripping around it. Restful sleep was rare for her, these days… ever since she killed Ragyo Kiryuin, her mother. The thought flipped Ryuko's stomach.

She'd killed her mother.

"No!" she mentally corrected herself, gritting her teeth around her brush, "I offered to bring her home! She… she did that to herself."

By Ryuko's approximate count, it had been thirteen days, five hours and ten minutes since she'd defeated her mother, pacified the Life Fibers, and crashed back down to Earth like a blazing meteor. Thirteen days since she'd saved the world. Thirteen days since Senketsu died. The thought gnawed at her heart, grief threatening to take control again. She shook her head, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. It wouldn't help to dwell on those thoughts. There was too much emotion involved in those final days. She needed a distraction.

Blue inhuman eyes, pupils shaped like gears, found their way across the white marble countertop, falling on the built-in sink, accented by silver handles, faucet and drain. The entire sink was accented with an authentic gold trim, highlighting the wealth that Kiryuin Satsuki surrounded herself with. Ryuko cracked a smile at the thought of her sister.

_Ryuko was ravenous in her consumption of the banquet in front of her, surrounded by her closest friends- Ira, Uzu, Nonon, Houka, and her best friend Mako. The entire group had been enjoying their third victory meal since saving the world. This was a more private affair, situated within the private residence of the Student Council president in the Kiryuin Manor. Mako's family, along with the rest of Nudist Beach, weren't involved. Everything was going perfectly until an iron grip closed around the back of Ryuko's collar, pulling her backward away from the table everyone was seated at._

_She coughed and spluttered, her half-chewed meal bursting from her mouth and onto her shirt and plate. She flailed wildly, kicking and dragging her feet as she twisted her head around to look at her assailant. Her eyes widened as they locked with her older sister's, whose mouth was drawn tight in grim determination Ryuko had only seen on the battlefield. She twisted, falling to her hands and knees, crawling to her feet as she was dragged along, "S-Satsuki?! What the Hell is going on?! I was eating!"_

_Her elder sister said nothing, dragging her sister out to the balcony that overlooked the manor grounds. Ryuko collapsed to the ground when Satsuki's grip unfurled, grunting with exaggerated pain. She rose to her feet in an instant, face twisted in outrage, "Hey! What's the big idea of dragging me away from our party?!"_

_Satsuki paid her sister's outburst no mind, looking out over the untarnished beauty of her estate, one hand placed on the handrail of the balcony. Ryuko faltered at her sister's serenity, tensed shoulders slumping as she approached the edge of the balcony to stand next to her sister. A surge of protectiveness welled inside her, her brow furrowing in concern, "I-I mean… did you want to talk about something? I… assume you brought me out here for a reason."_

_Ryuko watched her sister's grim façade crumble, a serene smile creeping across her face. Satsuki turned to give Ryuko a sidelong glance, the falling sun making her look more radiant than ever before. In that moment, Ryuko knew that Satsuki would grow to be a pinnacle of beauty, just like her mother had been before her. Satsuki turned away again, looking out at the battered and abandoned academy in the distance._

_Ryuko noted how her grip on the handrail tightened, her mouth hanging open a split second longer than it needed to be to speak._

_"...Ryuko, I believe that now that mother and the life fibers have been... dealt with, we should do our best to move on with our lives."_

_Ryuko was caught off guard by the declaration. She nodded in agreement, half guarded, curious as to where her sister was going with this._

_"Yeah, I guess you're right… I'm not sure what there is to do now, though. What else is there?"_

_Satsuki turned, suddenly, facing her younger sister. A blush crept across her face as she reached out to take Ryuko's hands in her own. They were cool and dry… how very like her sister, Ryuko noted slyly. She couldn't help but taken aback by the sudden sign of affection, though. Her sister continued, voice quavering ever so gently._

_"Now, we make up for all the time Ragyo took from us. I would like us to start anew, as sisters. It would mean a great deal to me if you would accept this invitation to live with me here in the Kiryuin mansion."_

Ryuko smiled at the memory, a soft blush rising to her cheeks at how quickly she'd accepted. That smile stayed with her when she spit the toothpaste from her mouth, quickly rinsing and spitting before turning off the light to the bathroom, leaving herself enveloped in darkness. She turned and opened the door to the hall, revealing an expanse only illuminated by the few rogue rays of light from the outdoor lamps that penetrated this deeply into the mansion. It was in those moments like this that she appreciated Satsuki's first gift to her after accepting her into her home- real pajamas. In contrast to those too-small bunny patterned cotton pajamas, these were made of thick silk, dyed crimson and reaching past her wrists and ankles, lined with gold dyed fur. They were heavenly. She drew them closer to herself, bunching the fur lining up under her neck as she slipped through the darkness to Satsuki's room.

She paused outside Satsuki's door, her mind wandering again as she reflected on her relationship with her sister. Her thoughts turned to Mako, the girl who became her best and first real friend. She burrowed her chin deeper into the fur lining, enjoying the warmth it provided. She still hadn't gotten rid of those tight little pajamas. She doubted she ever would. She suppressed a giggle at the thought of the girl's bombastic family, always moving at one hundred miles per hour. Always loving, caring, never questioning. They were the first real family she ever had, but… Mr. and Mrs. Mankanshoku were never really parents to her. She'd clicked with Mako, sure, but the others… never as much. She wanted her own family. Her own mother and father. Her eyes lit up, toes curling in the fabric of the rich, soft carpeting beneath her feet. She had Satsuki now! Real flesh and blood!

She took a half step forward to the door in front of her, twisting the beautiful handle. She cracked the door ever so little, lining her eye up with the crack so she could spy in on her sister. The dim light from the hall spilled out in a long crack across Satsuki's room, bringing a shaft of light across the luxurious room. It fell across Satsuki's sleeping form, the young REVOCS CEO lost in unknown dreams. The sheets on the bed followed each of Satsuki's curves, sending a flutter through Ryuko's heart as she watched the silent rise and fall of her sister's chest. It was almost laughable to think that she'd once hated this breathtaking young woman with all her heart. Now, all she could do was admire her strength and poise. All she could do was want be just like her newfound big sister.

Her eyes scanned across the room and fall upon a set of digital numbers, softly illuminating the darkness.

1:04 AM

Ryuko sighed, her smile dropping. She mentally chastised herself, turning away from Satsuki's door, "I really do need to be getting more sleep… Waking up tired all the time is a pain in the ass. If I can't find a rhythm, school is gonna bite me in the ass."

She closed it shut behind her with an almost inaudible click, ever so care to not wake her sister. She hooked her free hand under her armpit, warming it as best she could, "Sats has enough to worry about without me waking her in the middle of the night…"

Truth be told, she'd considered bringing her lack of sleep to Satsuki's attention, but the girl was just so incredibly busy… She was the CEO of REVOCS now. She had a global firestorm to manage, all while planning the reconstruction of Honnouji academy into an actual school. Her spirit dampened as she slowly continued the short walk down the hall to her own room. There were actually several things she wanted to talk to her sister about. She wanted to ask about her father. Her mother. REVOCS. Nui. The butler Soroi, even! And… Junketsu. What she'd done when Nui stitched it on to her.

She slid into her own luxurious room, the amenities almost a mirror image of Satsuki's. She was sure to close the door behind her quietly, still mindful of her sister just down the hall. Her mood took a turn for the worse when she thought about that horrible day, when she'd charged Nui and Ragyo on her own. When she was captured. When… When her mother...

She sat back on the edge of the bed, fighting back tears.

She knew she'd been raped.

Her memory of the act was a blur, but she was still aware when Nui was sewing the rabid kamui's life fibers into her very body. She crawled across her bed, curling into a ball on top of her covers when she reached her pillows. She could feel that horrible needle digging into her skin, weaving her together with that monster while she healed over and over again. She'd demanded they stop. She'd begged. She'd cried.

She squeezed her thighs together. She could feel her mother's groping hands, reaching down, teasing her. Pleasuring her. Raping her, all while whispering sweet promises in her ears.

She twisted on her silken sheets, curling under them, wrapping herself in a cocoon of sheets on top of her pile of down pillows. She needed layers. She needed something between her and that horrible, groping, violating hand. Tears leaped to her eyes as she buried her sobs into her pillow, biting down to keep from crying out too loudly. Satsuki didn't need her problems on top of her own.

Ryuko clenched her eyes shut, sweat breaking out across her body as she stressed, tormenting herself as much as her memories did. She had no memory of wearing Junketsu. After all that pain, her memory of what had happened faded into white obscurity. She was able to create something of an idea of what had happened based on the wreckage on the deck of the S.S. Naked Sun, but nobody had ever told her exactly what occured. Mako, who couldn't keep herself from shouting to the heavens about whatever she thought was relevant, was silent on the subject. Even her sister deflected her questions when Ryuko asked her about it. She assumed it was bad.

She sighed softly, drawing her legs tighter underneath her as she closed her eyes, trying to escape these horrible thoughts and flee into blissful sleep. In mere moments, her breathing relaxed.

Ryuko awoke to a sensation she'd never realized before. She was breathing for the first time. She could think clearly now. Her whole being was enveloped in shining light, soothing and strengthening her. It was nirvana. Bliss. She knew, for that moment, her exact place in the universe. Everything was as it should have been.

And then her mother's voice, gentle and serene, rang through her ears like chiming bells.

_"How do you like the pleasure of being enveloped by Junketsu?"_

That bliss became a prison. She could feel it enveloping her. Penetrating her flesh. Tethered through her muscles and bones. Ryuko wanted to scream at the violation- wanted to cry out, but her body would not. All the while she was overwhelmed by this wondrous new sensation. She could feel Ragyo's and Nui's nude bodies pressed against her own, their feather soft caresses sending electricity down her spine. They whispered in her ears, their voices soft, like warm velvet.

_"In all the world, only you and I can savor this pleasure. Enjoy it to the fullest."_

Her mother's words slipped through her mind and body, resonating in her core. She knew it was true, too. Only she and Ragyo had fused directly with life fibers, taking the organisms into their selves. This was the ecstasy of being worn by clothing… of being ONE with clothing, bound together. Her spirit raged, trying to escape the bindings her mother's words weaved in her soul, but she could not bring her body to resist. Her body smiled. Her body eagerly accepted their embrace.

_"As you are now, you must know perfectly well what I'm thinking."_

Ryuko shrieked in defiance. She knew what was coming. Should not stop it. Her body gasped in pleasure, still reeling from the sensation of being bound to Junketsu. Even as her lips parted, Ryuko tried to force them shut. As she spoke, she tried to scream. There was nothing she could do.

_"Humans exist to serve clothing…"_

Her body went into motion without her consent, following Ragyo and Nui's whims like a puppet on strings. The kamui Junketsu feasted on the blood her body offered, each needle penetrating her flesh with a gentle flick of a finger. When the kamui drank its fill, her world transformed into raw, carnal, passion. It was wanton and unrelenting, filling her with such need that she'd never known before. She needed an anchor. Something that could see her through this storm of raging emotion.

_"Lady Ragyo, Lady Satsuki has escaped."_

Satsuki.

_"She what?"_

Hearing the name was like a sword slicing through her chest. In that moment, it, and everything that it represented, repulsed her. The very notion of rejecting the Life Fibers was paramount to absolute treason, but the idea of betraying their mother?! Did Satsuki not know the horror of living your entire life alone?! To live your life waking up every morning with no one to turn to!? With nobody to hold you and tell you everything would be better? With nobody to kiss you goodnight or help you with school? With nobody to sit down and explain what a god-damned period is!?

In that moment, her sister was the most ignorant, wretched, abominable, creature alive. Satsuki fueled the flames of hatred in Ryuko's heart. She fed the disgust writhing in her stomach. Satsuki needed to be punished. Broken. Satsuki didn't deserve the Life Fibers. She didn't deserve Mother.

In her prison, Ryuko hated herself. She hated herself for feeling the same things her body felt. For hating Satsuki. Her big sister, who invited her into her home. Who saved her life, in the end of it all when she came crashing back down to earth. Her sister who loved her. Ryuko hated Satsuki because she had so much, while Ryuko had so little.

And yet, despite all this rage and hate, her body craved something more.

Ryuko watched, impotent, as her body pulled Nui close. The girl was worried. Ryuko was horrified. She could feel the heat in her body's core, the carnal desire that needed to be released. Boundless passion and emotion, raging uncontrollably. She screamed anew as her body locked lips with her father's killer. Her soul shattered then, as she felt her tongue mingle with Nui's, her body savoring the taste of the petite girl in its grip. Her lips were soft. She tasted sweet, like strawberries. This was the ultimate betrayal to her father's memory. This was a nightmare with no end. This was Hell.

Her dream became a blur of violence with no end, laughing as she crushed her former friends beneath her newfound strength. Her newfound passion. Even when Satsuki and Senketsu joined forces, they were little more than stumbling blocks before her and Junketsu. Every swing of her blade was followed by a silent prayer from Ryuko. She prayed that this is where she regained control. That his is where they'd stopped her. Before she could cause any more harm.

Worse yet were the emotions that raged through her heart. She knew that Ragyo and Nui had tampered with her mind. She knew that Junketsu had caused her emotions to surge wildly out of control. It didn't matter to her, though. It was so real. This hatred. This disgust. Her only salvation was that she knew it came to an end. Even when Nui arrived, she clung to that desperate shard of hope. This would come to an end.

When she ripped Senketsu from Satsuki's body, that hope almost shattered. How could they overcome her when Satsuki lay there, broken in the debris of the ship's deck? When Mako stopped her from landing the finishing blow on her sister, her heart soared again. Surely, that was where she drew the line! That hope was soon crushed though, just as all her others had been. Her heart seized when she brought her scissor-blade down on the Mankanshoku family. Even when Satsuki parried the blow, saving all their lives, she despaired. The closest thing she had to a family had tried to appeal to her heart and she'd repaid them with an execution. She was unprepared for the pain that came next. Her punishment.

Ryuko howled in agony, along with her body, as Senketsu was driven into the gaping wound Satsuki has pried open on her chest. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt… as if she were being pulled apart from the very core of her being. Every inch of her body was on fire, blazing with pain at Senketu's violation, nerves screaming as he shook Junketsu's life fibers loose from her own.

She wanted this to be over. She didn't want to see herself doing this awful things, being this horrible monster of passion. She didn't want to endure this horrible pain. She could not shut her eyes. She could not drown out the sounds of battle with her scream.

And then there was silence. Blissful, wonderful, perfect silence. No more pain. No more hurting her friends. She was alone, now, accompanied only by a mannequin. She was in a church, standing at the altar, wearing the most beautiful wedding dress she'd ever seen. It was over. This nightmare had finally ended…

Her heart clenched when the pounding on the door began.

All too soon, Mako was yelling at her again.

_"This isn't happiness! This isn't even close to happiness!"_

Shut up!

_"Snap out of it, Ryuko!"_

SHUT UP!

_"Dummy, dummy, dummy! Fine! Go ahead and kill me! If you're so intent on staying cooped up in here, kill me and give up on being my Ryuko!"_

Ryuko swung her scissor-blade down at the source of her agony, desperate for escape from this nightmare. Blood cascaded from the open wound, showering the two girl in crimson. Her tired and furious eyes met Mako's terrified and betrayed gaze, eyes eventually falling to see the gaping wound she'd left in Senketsu. Again and again, the scene played in her mind. She screamed as the blade fell again and again, cleaving into the only set of clothes she vowed she'd ever wear. Her father's greatest gift to her. She screamed and screamed, falling into darkness as she betrayed everything and everyone she stood for.

She trashed, howling into the night, kicking and screaming as hand clutched and grabbed at her. They wouldn't hold her! They couldn't! SHE NEEDED OUT!

A voice came from a distance, calling her name, desperate and afraid.

Satsuki.

Ryuko's eyes slowly opened, revealing her room illuminated by soft lighting, the dark figure of her sister crouched over her, hands wrapped tightly around her arms, powerful fingers digging into her skin. Satsuki called her name again, and Ryuko saw the terror in her sister's eyes. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen… even when Ragyo crushed her rebellion, Satsuki had remained composed to the end.

Her sister's eyes softened, voice dropping to little more than a whisper,

"Ryuko, it's okay… I'm here Ryuko, whatever it is, it's fine, it's over now…"

Ryuko broke.

She wailed her sorrow into the crook of her sister's neck, clinging to Satsuki like she could disappear at any moment, as if she would disappear back into that endless nightmare that had engulfed her moments ago. In that moment, she wasn't the world's savior. She wasn't the most powerful being on the Earth, capable of bending steel with her bare hands and crushing an army with a single swing of a sword. She was a terrified little girl whose world had opened up and eaten her alive.

The poor girl offered no resistance as Satsuki wrapped her in a tender embrace, rocking her back and forth, whispering soft reassurances into her ear to soothe the pain, "It was just a nightmare, Ryuko, nothing that can hurt you…"

Ryuko opened her mouth to speak, but she could say nothing to describe the nightmare she had endured. She spluttered into her sister's neck, trying to form an idea or a coherent sentence, but the memories of her rampage escaped into the ether. The only thing left behind with Ryuko was crippling sorrow and self loathing. She knew she was horrible. She knew she was a monster.

At the end of the night, there was nothing left except a terrified girl, lost in broken despair, and her big sister, who was hopelessly trying to comfort the younger sibling.

In that broken despair, Ryuko wished for just one thing.

A mother's love.


	2. Moving Forward

_Moving Forward  
_

Only a select group of people remembered the three month struggle against the Life Fibers. For the rest of the world, it was like waking from a dream that lasted years. There months had vanished from collective memory, and, when the dust of panic and confusion had finally settled a month later, the true power of the REVOCS conglomerate was revealed. Anti-Monopoly laws ensured that the organization was immediately broken into two separate parts. One half remained under REVOCS' control and the other half was broken up into the original companies that were brought together to form that half of the conglomerate.

Like its creator, the Honnoji Academy changed a great deal as well. It was no longer a training ground for young soldiers who would wield Goku Uniforms. While it remained a brutal dictatorship under Satsuki's iron fist, emphasis was now being placed on academic achievement instead of martial prowess. The starred uniforms remained the same, but they no longer granted any special abilities. Instead, they referred to a student's standing in the school, based on a composite score of scholastic success. Achievement in different areas would grant students access to these starred uniforms, which offered little in return beyond prestige and respect.

Satsuki Kiryuin, following her mother's suicide, took her place as leader of the organization. The burden of steering what remained of her mother's company fell squarely on her young shoulders. She remained Student Council President, rebuilding a rebranded REVOCS after what was officially labeled, "Ragyo's Disappearance". Thanks to the Life Fibers dulling everyone's minds, nobody knew that her mother was solely responsible for the attack of the clothing. Due to this, she was able to maintain control of her organization. In the face of the struggle that her company now faced, she became committed to making the most fashionable and affordable clothes she could. Despite, or because of, her madness, Nui Harime was an incredible designer. The company would suffer without her and Satsuki knew it.

The Elite Four, members of the student council and lords of the school, kept their positions of power beneath Satsuki, who left the actual control of the school in their hands. Her position as the leader of REVOCS afforded her little time for the administration of the academy. Mako, who was now dating Gamaboori, also joined the Elite Four. At Ryuko's behest, and some pushing from Gamaboori, Satsuki allowed her to become the Leader of No-Star affairs. It was now her duty to see that No-Star students, those who are average and below, are given the opportunity and motivation to succeed in an environment as rigorous as the one Satsuki created.

Ryuko was given the title of Student Council Vice President, if only because of nepotism. Her position gave her executive authority second only to Satsuki herself. Despite this authority, she often would only act as an extension of Satsuki's will on the Student Council if she herself was unable to attend meetings due to matters with the REVOCS corporation that demand her attention. Other times, it would often be misused. Not in a malicious sense, of course. Ryuko had a tendency to do what she thought _should_ be right, regardless if it was against the rules or not, sometimes earning the irritation of the other elites; Gamaboori in particular. Despite not seeing eye to eye on this, they were able to remain close friends. It seemed like averting the end of the world really brought people together.

_"_How the facts of life have changed…", Satsuki mused to herself as she looked out the window of her private helicopter to the sprawling cityscape below.

She had just ended yet another intolerable meeting with government sanctioned anti-monopoly investigators. It was an utter mess. All of REVOCS was being audited. Half her assets had been seized, and worse yet, there were talks of investigating her private property. Fortunately, due to the mind altering properties of the Life Fibers, nobody knew how Ragyo was able to build her massive empire. She was certain that the inquiries would pass and no further punishments would be levied.

With a soft sigh, she leaned back, long ebony locks falling around her face as she crossed her right leg over the left leg. She wore a stone facade, as always, but truth be told, she was utterly exhausted. A designer woman's pantsuit clung to her every curve. Where her mother preferred elegance, Satsuki felt that a firmer, more powerful and intimidating appearance was necessary when it came to facing the powers of the world. Her suit was entirely white, save the blue tie she wore around her neck and the shining golden buttons that decorated its wrists and the front of the jacket. It was of peerless quality and fit, pulled straight from REVOCS' most exclusive executive line. It burned Satsuki to think that both she and her mother agreed she looked best in white. She refused to allow that corpse to control her life, though. Especially in death.

She closed her eyes, leaning back against the plus seat of the helicopter, losing herself in the hypnotic, deafening thrumming of the blades above her head. Her new responsibilities as the leader of the REVOCS corporation were burying her. In the past month, she'd had no time to function as the Honnoji Student Council President. Her time with her sister was painfully brief, and heavy bags were beginning to grow under her eyes. Lack of sleep was going to bury her.

Her thoughts turned to her sister, then, as her eyes cracked opened just enough to stare at the dwindling lights below, eyes falling on the dark abyss that was the unlit ocean. She couldn't suppress the flutter in her heart that came with the thought of seeing Ryuko. It astounded her how quickly the tomboy with a red shock of hair found her place in the bottom of Satsuki's heart. A thin smile creeped across her lips. The young tomboy was probably still awake now, even when she should have been asleep at least an hour ago to be awake in time for the Student Council meeting tomorrow. She pictured her wearing the pajamas Satsuki had gifted to her, nestled in a thick blanket, barely illuminated by the glowing screen in front of her, enraptured by the screen in front of her.

Satsuki paused to reflect. What was it about this girl that charmed her so? Even before she knew of their shared blood, Ryuko had intrigued her. Her soft smile split into a full grin, just for a moment as she remembered how Ryuko burst into her academy, scissor blade drawn, demanding to face Satsuki. The conviction was intriguing, but that alone wasn't enough to hold Satsuki's interest. She'd seen conviction from blustering fools before. She'd all but dismissed her when she turned and fled after her first battle. She'd mistaken will to survive as cowardice. But Ryuko returned. Then she fled, only to return and flee again and again. Just like Satsuki would have, in the face of such an impossible foe.

"Honestly…", she mused, "I should have seen it sooner."

Her thoughts were interrupted when her pilot twisted his head back to look at her over his shoulder, "We're about ten minutes out, Lady Kiryuin!"

She gestured for him to return to his duties, nodding in acknowledgement. It was good to be going home again.

Ryuko was predictable at times.

True to how Satsuki imagined her, she was curled up in her comforter atop her bed, deep within the Kiryuin Mansion. Her crimson and gold pajamas barely visible beneath the bulk of the thick blanket. Her face, illuminated by the flashing light of the TV screen, was twisted into grim determination as she frantically mashed at the buttons on her controller! She was desperate to not only fell the monstrous foe before her, but to also keep herself from destroying the controller with her monstrous strength! A low, animalistic, growl pulled itself from the back of her throat as her eyes lit with fiery determination, mashing faster and faster! Yes! This was it! After countless nights of trying!

She cackled triumphantly as her victory drew near, her foe's health bar dropping to almost nothing, "Yes! YES! I, RYUKO KIRYUIN-MATOI, AM VIC-"

Her voice hitched, eyes widening in horror as her thumb pierced the controller in her grip, snapping it neatly in two. In that instant, her foe turned on her now helpless character, utterly annihilating her.

She sighed, voice thick with bitter frustration as she dejectedly tossed the controller into the pile of its broken peers at the base of the television. She stood from her warm, cozy, cocoon to retrieve another one, only to be interrupted just as the thick blanket fell from her shoulders.

"You know, I can probably have the manufacturer make a custom one for you. That way you won't go through three of them in a night."

Ryuko whipped her head around, frustrations forgotten as her eyes widened in delight, "SATSUKI!"

Her older sister stood in the doorway, half her suit already gone, leaving her in only her white socks, slacks, and untucked button down shirt. A soft smile graced her face, hard eyes full of warmth and strength.

In a burst of speed that was almost too fast for the human eye to follow, Ryuko was upon her. Her sister flinched back at the sudden attack, but was far too slow to evade being engulfed in Ryuko's bone crushing hug. Ryuko ignored her sister's cough as she lifted her up off the ground, spinning her, "Satsukiiiii!"

Satsuki grit her teeth, lips still twisted into a smile, even as she struggled to breath, "How… very… Mako, of you, Ryuko…"

Ryuko's lips twisted into a wry grin as she set her sister down, "So she's rubbed off on me a bit! That's okay, right?"

Her sister let out a knowing chuckle, turning her head to pull a stray lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her grin transformed into that oh-so-superior smile that Ryuko had become intimately familiar with.

"As your older sister, I hoped you'd find better influences in your life."

Ryuko put her hands on her hips, lips curling into a challenging grin, "Oh? Like you, maybe?"

Satsuki raised an eyebrow, brushing past her sister and taking a seat on the edge of her bed, "Of course. Only the best for my dear sister, after all."

She crossed her legs, fingers entwining as she clasped onto her knee, like she were once again on the throne of the student council, lording over her fortress academy. Satsuki tilted her head to the side, like she knew something that Satsuki didn't, "I'd say I wasn't expecting you to be up this late, but I know you well enough by now. Don't you have a student council meeting you need to be up for tomorrow?"

Ryuko faltered at the mention of sleep.

Satsuki had not been present for four nights in a row. Three of those nights, Ryuko had woken in the dark hours of the morning, crying and covered in sweat with nobody to comfort her. The confusion and hurt she felt when she woke wasn't the worst thing, though. It was the _need_ she felt. Every morning, she felt so horribly naked. It was like the feeling of missing a phone in your pocket, but it covered her entire being. The sensation faded with time, but she loathed it all the same. She was beginning to dread the idea of going to sleep again.

Her sister, ever observant, noticed her hesitation.

"You're my voice on the council, now. You know I can't be there very often to mediate my friends'… discussions. And you know Mako will hardly be impartial, considering her relationship with Gamagoori."

Ryuko nearly sighed in relief when Satsuki misattributed her sleeplessness to nerves about the meeting in the morning. Truth be told, she actually enjoy council meetings if they weren't so early in the morning. Supreme power suited her. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, doing her best to play the role of the nervous younger sister.

"It's just a lot of responsibility, Sats! Everyone expects me to be… well, you. You left big shoes to fill."

Satsuki's smile softened.

"I'm sure you'll do fine, little sister. I trust whatever decision you deem to be the best."

Ryuko's cheeks reddened at the endearing phrase. She was still getting used to the idea of using terms like little and big sister in her relationship with Satsuki.

Satsuki stood, then, crossing the distance between herself in the blink of an eye. Startled, Ryuko went to take a half step back, but was held in place by her sister's firm grip on her shoulder. The girl's eyes were sharp, mouth held in a grim line, "Ryuko, know that I support you with the full power of the REVOCS conglomerate and the power of the Kiryuin family name. Any who stand in your way will be utterly crushed and scattered like dust in the wind. We are wolves in a world filled with pigs. Am I made clear?"

Ryuko was stunned by the force of her sister's conviction, made weak and powerless before its might. She could only nod dumbly in response. This was _not_ the turn she'd expected this conversation to take.

Satsuki relented, her grim frown turning up into a soft smile and her hard eyes softening. She eased her stunned sister into a gentle hug before turning away, beginning to make the walk down the hall to her bedroom. Before Ryuko could open her mouth to speak, her sister's voice rang out, "I'm going to bed. I expect you to be in your own shortly. I'll know if you stay up any longer."

Ryuko sighed as dread to pool in her stomach. She resigned herself to another night of torment, pausing to turn off her game before crawling into bed. Anxiety pooled in her gut with every step she took, toes curling into the luxurious carpet beneath her feet. She steeled herself as she pulled the covers over her supine form, clenching her hand into a fist around the blanket.

She was Ryuko Kiryuin-Matoi! She was the strongest person on the planet! She refused to hide from something as silly as bad dreams!

It was not long before exhaustion from the past few nights overtook her. Even as her consciousness faded, she would've sworn she could hear her mother's laughter ringing in her ears.

**AN:** Thank you all for the kind reviews of on the prologue. I hope you enjoyed the newest addition to the story. And yes, that IS a huge block of exposition that could have been organically explained through the narrative in this chapter. That would have required a bunch more work that I don't have the motivation to do, though.

So enjoy what you get.

Also, screw the OVA.


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